Bucs sign Bills free-agent cornerback Ashton Youboty

The Bucs have signed former Bills cornerback Ashton Youboty, a move made to augment the depth at cornerback with both Aqib Talib and Myron Lewis nursing hamstring injuries.

Youboty, a third-round pick of the Bills in 2006, has appeared in 43 games in his career, including 13 in Buffalo last season. He is a player the Bucs scouted closely prior to the 2006 draft, and the Bucs believe he fits the mold of cornerback they look for and gives them needed depth.

"We always talk about long-term thinking," Coach Raheem Morris said. "You never know what’s going to happen. You never know how it’s going to happen. To get a guy in here who liked in the draft and have an opportunity to sign is something we want to do."

What's not clear is whether today's move is in any way related to the team's concerns that Talib could be suspended for his alleged involvement in a shooting in Garland, Texas. Talib still faces a charge of assault with a deadly weapon for which he'll stand trial in March.

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